No ESCape

No ESCape

No ESCape is a free add-in for Microsoft PowerPoint written by Shyam Pillai, a developer who publishes PowerPoint add-ins and VBA examples on his OfficeTips (SKPHub) website. During a slide show a presenter or a visitor can leave the show, accidentally or intentionally, by pressing the ESC key. This add-in disables the functionality of the ESC key, so the show keeps running.

No ESCape keeps kiosk and unattended PowerPoint slide shows running by stopping viewers from ending them with the ESC key.

Features:

• ESC key blocking: When the add-in is loaded, pressing ESC during a slide show no longer ends the presentation.

• Two protection modes: You can prevent ESC from ending all shows, or only the main starting show. In the second mode, ESC still closes other shows opened from the starting one, but not the starting show itself.

• Preferences window: The add-in adds a command to the Tools menu of PowerPoint that opens a small preferences window where the desired mode is selected.

• Kiosk and unattended shows: The add-in is useful for presentations at exhibitions, information stands and other places where the show should not be interrupted by visitors.

• Lightweight package: The download is a small ZIP archive that contains the add-in file NoESCape.ppa and a short readme with the author's contact details; the files in the archive are dated 2009, and there is no setup program.

• Standard PowerPoint add-in: The .ppa file is a regular macro-based PowerPoint add-in, so PowerPoint may show a macro warning when it is loaded, and macros must be enabled.

• Freeware: The add-in is free to download from the author's website, where its page with installation and usage instructions is still online.

To install No ESCape, unzip the archive to a folder, start PowerPoint, open Tools > Add-ins, click Add New, select NoESCape.ppa and enable macros when prompted (in later PowerPoint versions the Add-ins dialog is found under File > Options > Add-ins). The author lists support for PowerPoint 2000 to 2007. He also notes that 32-bit add-ins do not work in the 64-bit edition of Office, and No ESCape is not among his add-ins listed as 64-bit compatible. Finally, if the show runs in kiosk mode, disabling ESC leaves no standard way to exit, so the author recommends adding an escape route, for example an invisible shape set to end the show.